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Characterization Of Grain Boundary Cavity Evolution During Long-Term Crack Initiation Testing Of Cold Worked Alloy 690 In Simulated PWR Primary Water

Determining the resistance of high-Cr Ni-base Alloy 690 to environmental degradation during long-term pressurized water reactor (PWR) exposure is needed to confirm its viability as the replacement material for Alloy 600 and help establish a quantitative factor of improvement for stress corrosion crack (SCC) initiation. SCC initiation testing on cold-worked (CW) Alloy 600 materials in PWR primary water has demonstrated that intergranular (IG) attack is the precursor to SCC initiation in this material. In comparison, an equivalent degradation and cracking process does not exist in CW Alloy 690.

Product Number: ED22-17324-SG
Author: Ziqing Zhai, Mychailo Toloczko, Stephen Bruemmer
Publication Date: 2022
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Long-term stress corrosion crack (SCC) initiation behavior in cold-worked Alloy 690 is being evaluated by constant load tensile testing in 360°C simulated pressurized water reactor primary water. Seven commercial Alloy 690 heats with different starting microstructures and cold-work levels are being tested at either 90% or 100% of the material yield stress (YS). Grain boundary (GB) cavities had previously served as the key precursor to crack initiation in two thermally treated (TT) and highly cold worked (CW) Alloy 690 materials featuring the most susceptible GB carbide distribution to cavity formation and growth. Macroscopic crack initiation was detected in these specimens within ~2.5 years of exposure at 100%YS. As the test progressed, short IG crack formation or macroscopic crack initiation was observed in a few more material/loading conditions. In this paper, characterization results acquired at recent test interruptions will be reported with a focus on specimens that exhibited an increased GB damage over time. Quantitative data has been obtained to predict GB cavity evolution as a function of time in highly CW Alloy 690TT materials with susceptible GB microstructure. In addition, GB damage characteristics in specimens with different loading conditions, cold work levels, or thermal-mechanical history were compared and discussed.


Long-term stress corrosion crack (SCC) initiation behavior in cold-worked Alloy 690 is being evaluated by constant load tensile testing in 360°C simulated pressurized water reactor primary water. Seven commercial Alloy 690 heats with different starting microstructures and cold-work levels are being tested at either 90% or 100% of the material yield stress (YS). Grain boundary (GB) cavities had previously served as the key precursor to crack initiation in two thermally treated (TT) and highly cold worked (CW) Alloy 690 materials featuring the most susceptible GB carbide distribution to cavity formation and growth. Macroscopic crack initiation was detected in these specimens within ~2.5 years of exposure at 100%YS. As the test progressed, short IG crack formation or macroscopic crack initiation was observed in a few more material/loading conditions. In this paper, characterization results acquired at recent test interruptions will be reported with a focus on specimens that exhibited an increased GB damage over time. Quantitative data has been obtained to predict GB cavity evolution as a function of time in highly CW Alloy 690TT materials with susceptible GB microstructure. In addition, GB damage characteristics in specimens with different loading conditions, cold work levels, or thermal-mechanical history were compared and discussed.